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Phane Stew

Phane Stew is a traditional Botswanan recipe for a classic stew of dried caterpillars cooked with onions and bell peppers in a tomato-based sauce flavoured with chillies and curry powder. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Botswanan version of: Phane Stew.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

60 minutes

Total Time:

80 minutes

Additional Time:

(+30 minutes soaking)

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : CurryChilli RecipesGame RecipesVegetable RecipesBotswana Recipes

Phane repreents the mopane worm, the caterpilars of the moth Gonimbrasia belina, which are found throughout much of Southern Africa. It is an important source of protein form many Southern Africans. The recipe presented here comes from Botswana, but equivalent recipes are found throughout Southern Africa. The mopane worm derives its English name as it is usually found on the mopane tree, Colophospermum mopane. Mopane worms are hand-picked in the wild, often by women and children. In the bush, the caterpillars are not considered to belong to the landowner (if any), but around a house permission should be sought from the resident. When the caterpillar has been picked, it is pinched at the tail end to rupture the innards. The picker then squeezes it like a tube of toothpaste or lengthways like a concertina, and whips it to expel the slimy, green contents of the gut. The mopane caterpillar is then either cooked in a stew or dried for use at a later date.

Ingredients:

200g dried mopane worms
1 onion, finely chopped
2 green bell peppers, sliced
6 tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp curry powder
1 chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
500ml water

Method:

Wash the worms and boil in lightly-salted water for 30 minutes to re-constitute. Drain then add to a pan along with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about an hour.

Serve with pap or samp and atchar